My Experience of University

University can be a very exciting time, but for many of us, it’s also a time when we struggle under the pressure and lose some of our focus on God. If that’s how you’re feeling, you’re not alone. 

UCB 1 presenter Gareth Cottrell studied Media Radio Production at Manchester University. We chatted to Gareth about his experiences of university.

How did you stay connected to God during your time at uni? 

To be honest, I didn’t! I was a Christian, so I would pray every morning and night, and read the Bible occasionally. I’d go to church on Sundays, but I felt awkward because at weekends I was a full-time Christian, and then weekdays I was off doing my own things. There were certain things that I wouldn’t do because of my Christian faith, but I didn’t really live my faith like I do now.

So when did you feel yourself really coming closer to God? 

It was always there, but it was almost a characteristic of myself which was part-time. Then about five years ago, I met my wife, and it was because of her, really, that my faith went from head to heart. I thought, ‘Well, I can either continue as I am, or I can really get down to the guts of this and find out why I believe it.’ And that’s what happened.

Did you ever find yourself getting stressed at uni? How did you cope with that? 

I had severe bouts of anxiety, really badly. It used to take me so much longer than everybody else to write an essay. I’d procrastinate constantly, and then panic because the work was due in a few weeks.

I would have to have complete silence to concentrate. I had to literally lock the door and sit on my own in complete silence. I was diagnosed with dyslexia in the final six months of my course, and my grades picked up massively.

My dad helped me a lot, and I remember I would write pages of my dissertation and he would check the punctuation. That helped massively. Going to church on Sundays would also help.

What do you think was the most important thing you learned from the experience of being at uni?  

At the start, I found it very difficult leaving home. It was probably the first time I’d had to cook and clean on my own, because up until the age of 18, my parents sorted things for me. And then overnight it just changed. I realised that I was more independent than I thought I was, and I enjoyed it.

If you could go back and tell your younger self one bit of advice before starting uni, what would you say  

Don’t worry. All those times you were panicking about an exam and thinking, ‘if I don’t pass this or if I don’t get an A, it’s the end of the world,’ it really isn’t. It will all be alright in the end. Obviously, it’s important to work hard. And I’d say enjoy it because it flies by, it goes so fast.

If you’re struggling with the pressures of university, take some time to tell God about it, and then chat to a tutor or your pastor or CU leader about how you’re feeling. And if you need to move your faith ‘from head to heart’, why not re-dedicate your life to God today.